The type that is made to be used a few times. Sorta like an emergency blanket that traps your body heat using that reflective material. I've seen the term "bivvy, blanket, and bag" used. Not sure of the difference b/t a bivvy and sleeping bag.

I can help here. A bivvy is a sleeping bag with a built in tent, kind of an all-in-one sleep/shelter. They are usually expensive and some are heavy.







Hope that helps.



As far as emergency sleeping bags, I don't have much to offer you in terms of experience. I usually carry a full blown sleeping bag, or carry a emergency survival blanked like you described. I have not done much in between.



I would guess they are all the same: http://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Sleeping-Survival-Reflective-Blanket/dp/B000Y9H09Q



 

my bivy is pretty much just a somewhat more weather-resistant outer shell (that has a face/bug net) to put over my sleeping bag.  it's not super highspeed/lowdrag, but it works... it's the REI house brand "minimalist bivy".  Picked it up on sale for $50 I believe.  I've used it probably 8-9 times now and I haven't damaged it yet (other than dirt).

link here

I'm not shilling their product, and there are much neater bivys out there, I just needed the bare minimum and that's what I got...

15 ounces



nice!



 

slept in the back of my truck with just that and a fleece blanket in moderate temps (no sleeping bag, in the 50s, but got down to the high 40s that night and semi damp but not raining) and was plenty comfy... at least I stayed dry.

it's a wee tad claustrophobic though

Thanks for starting this thread protus!
Almost 6 years, Wow.
I have read every post, it tokk 5 days.

Ironically enough my birthday is coming up next month and my wife has been asking what I want.

I am looking at the  Halftrack, I will have to make myself a cover so I can blend in certain environments.

Now it's time to make my list of items to pack.

There is a Ton of great info in here, I'll have to invest some time and really think through my load out.

Two items I recently have been exploring - I bought a used SARVIP vest, which carries a LOT of gear, and blends in nicely, although the leg loops need to have the clasps removed for most use - I want to keep it 'rap ready; however. The other thing I was recently turned onto is A-TACS camo. I will be painting a pack to try and replicate it as it looks like the best/most useful/versatile camo yet. Why? because it doesn't LOOK like camo - it just looks 'dirty.' I'll post some pics later when I get home, but I found a nice pack made in this camo by OPS - I was impressed with their mag pouches so would be willing to try a pack.

Edit: Oops, wrong window.. Just lurking at the moment..

I've been following the argument of camo vs. non camo packs for a couple of years now for a BOB... I picked up a camo Blackhawk pack  off the prize table from one of the Ft Benning 3 gun matches, and utilized it for my 72hr pack... if need be, I have a can of Krylon spray paint available... I live on the central Gulf coast ... I perceive more camo packs due to the number of  returning servicemen and women than I do ones in single colors...is the color any more revealing as to the nature of the contents of the bag .... I am one of the original 5000 concealed weapons permit holders in the state, and was paranoid that everyone could see the outline of the gun in the IWB holster...then went to a "fanny pack" and was sure that everyone knew what was in the pack....the only people that ever saw it were the competitive shooting friends that had the same carry method... does it really matter?   If things are that bad, I'm probably going to be pushing an overloaded bicycle, and carrying a carbine anyway...

Im not sure if this a question or a comment, but I would like to restate that (specially on this post) camo is what blends in to whichever enviroment you are in. Example: I use to live in the country and having an acutual camo pack made sense if I had to ditch my truck and head off into the woods. Since I live in the city now, I use solid colors because they dont stand out.

My GHB (from work) is a Blackhawk 3-day pack in OD I got for $3 off ebay. I've been very impressed with it, and one of the things I keep in it besides water and my SIG, is a WWII German replica 'tan water' anorak. It weighs next to nothing, blends in in a lot of different environments, and would be a great 2nd layer for warmth if needed. (Plenty for PHX in the winter.) My GOOPHX bag is a modified M1941 that I plan on taking some pictures of soon, but I am not done modifying it. I really like the ATACS camo - as I said, it would blend in in a dirty city environment as well as in the woods. I have to consider both because if there were a meltdown at Palo Verde or something like that, I would be headed for Sedona and would need both. Having something like a light, camo anorak like I mentioned is good in several ways. I can look 'civilian' until I'm out of town, then blend in when I have to. I think having the option is the smartest move, but jeans, dirty sneakers and a D-Backs t-shirt is probably the best camo for a city. Even with the M1941 on my back I won't stand out too much - I'm seriously thinking about aquiring a shopping cart to help me get out of town if nothing else. Everyone leaves the homeless alone. You don't have to take it too far either. People will take one look at you and stay away.

I attempted to read all 29 pages tonight at work. Only made it to page 15 and my eyes are starting to hurt. Lots of great info so far. Looking forward to finishing reading it all tomorrow.

Some things I wanted to point out/mention.

Hennessy Hammocks. Saw no mention of them in the first 15 pages. I own the expedition model and I love it! It weighs just over 2.5 pounds, has a tarp, bug netting, can be set up in seconds and packs away very easily. Also there is no need for padding. Anyone else use these?

Next, Ruger 10/22-td. Just came out so obviously I didn't read anything about it in the first 15 pages (2009 and before). I don't have a pistol permit and my BO gun was my Kel-Tec Sub2k in 9mm. Now I'm thinking it'll be this Ruger. I suspect I'll see this mentioned at some point as I read more.

Lastly, I was buying some books on amazon tonight and saw this. It's brand new, being released this month so I bought it. Only one review, but it looks promising. I'll be sure to let you all know how it is.

ETA: Made it to page 24, the end is in sight but it's time to go home.

Well one Id like to say welcome

You do bring up a couple of points on weapon selection or atleast having something for a small game gun (if applicable in your desginated area). Even though I dont like braziltech (rossi taurus) but their Rossi Trifecta is a near perfect idea (3 guns in 1, .243, .22lr and 20 ga)  As for the 10/22 TD very light and it does come with its own bag oddly enough.

Anyways thanks for viewing

I've wanted a Hennessy for a few years now. I haven't been in the woods in ages. Almost a year dammit! Working, working, working. I'm going to take a week off soon, guess I'd better order a Hennessy for a trip. Main problem is my old dog - she's almost 16 and can't do backpacking trips anymore.

Haven't made it through the entire thread yet but as i am reading and planning a BOB, I ask myself why is everyone making a 72 hour bag?  What sort of event would cause a bug out where you could return home in 72 hours.  I'm thinking if something causes me to leave for 72 hours, I might have just as good or better chance to bunker down at a buddy's house or with them at my house and defend the place together.

I think a lot of people use the 72 hr bag for a get home bag.
Some use it to get to their Bug Out Location where they will have ample supplies. However, I do wonder what would happen to those who travel to their Bug Out Location and find that it's not there anymore. It's either been totally looted or taken over, or if traveling to their home it to was no longer theirs or even still standing. Looters tend to like to burn things for some reason.
A person can only do so much preparation and can only carry so much on their back, But I do think a lot of people would be in a really bad place if all their planning and preparations went to hell and all they had was the favorite 20-25 lbs on their back including water. I don't think it's very realistic to have stashes along the way most people either. Most would have to do so on private land and this is not very practical, safe or a reliable plan.
Me I would rather carry a little more weight of useful items that will help me get by for longer periods if necessary, and as far as the extra weight, I ca take longer breaks if needed

If I have to use my bug out bag (as opposed to home or car supplies), my intent is to reach either a safe location or some place to resupply within the time the bag provides (not necessarily 72hrs).
The goal isn't a 72 hour camp out.
As such, I have several items designed for longer-term situations.  My water purification, fire starting, cooking, lighting, basic tools, etc are geared for redundancy and a longer term than 3 days.

We had a survival prep preliminary course at church while back.  It was essentially based on the info at www.ready.gov.  The big stumbling block we had was WATER.  They recommend 1 gal / person / day to take care of both internal and external needs.  So for a three day ready bug-out-bag, your weight limit would be mostly taken up by water.  8.34 lbs / gal x 3 gal = 25 lbs.  I noticed in the above thread there was usually the idea that "we will find water along the way and purify it", etc.  If that is something you can count on or take the time to do, then so be it.   There are certain environments where the risk is small that you will not find water sources for replenishment along the way.  On the otherhand, there may be some environments where a 25 lb. BOB of water is just about it for a 3 day survival.

Discussion? ?

I would have a hard time making it from Phoenix to Sedona if I had to hoof it, purely because of the water (or rather LACK of water) factor. Empty 1 gallon Arizona ice tea containers weigh nothing and are great to put water in when you find it, but you have to find it. I need to research stock tanks on my topo map and hunt them down. Just getting up into the mountains would be sketchy. I would move at night as much as possible, but in a real emergency you may not have that luxury. I would carry as much water as I could carry and less food.

Fantastic thread, It took me a while to catch up, but I have already taken some of the advice. Most recent was the advice about the toenail clipper, something so simple, but I would bet many of us overlooked it.
My first stage of preparedness is my E&E kit, it contains-
5 feet of paracord
10 feet of snare wire
30 feet of fishing line (don't use the cheap stuff)
1 hook
1 weighted lure
1 folding razor
1 button compass
1 mini BIC lighter
1 Flint set
2 alcohol wipes
4 bandaids
1 small d ring
1 small tweezers
1 button compass
1 mini small pain in the ass to use can opener
8 iodine tablets (not shown, getting new sealed container so it doesnt stain everything)


I carry this every day and it all fits nicely into an Altoids can, we have all seen them and they could be put in any solid container that fits into a cargo pocket. I also usually carry a small flashlight, folding knife, and mini leatherman daily.


Stage 2 is all attached to my vest, this is kinda like a 2 day pack, for situations where I have to move from my fixed location for short periods of time.  Saw drum pouch to carry 2 days worth of food for one (rat fucked mres)


A general purpose and a shotshell pouch contain 5 trioxane bars, mini camp stove, waterproof matches, lensatic compass,  25 iodine tabs, snake bite kit (though I have read it is not very effective,but its light enough to be negligible, a lighter, a few packs of aspirin,  I have a shotgun pouch where I keep 25 feet of paracord, spoon n fork, antiseptic towelettes, 8 aa batts, 2 medium d rings 2 chemlights and one high lumen flashlight and one low lumen flashlight, two 123 batts(not shown)1 set of earpugs, one pair of pvc pipe cutters which fit into an inside pocket (cuts chain link fence quite nicely) and one roofers tool that hangs snugly usinga molle adapter. a multitool and a 3 inch folder.  I carry one full canteen and a poncho/ woobie if necessary.



simple medic kit (see pic )


1 30rnd Mag pouch, which holds shotgun panel

4 1911 mags ( 2 on mag holder 2 on gp pouch) no pic as I am still trying to get good deals on more mags)

everything not including weapons weights 21 pounds.

Stage 3 is the full out 3 plus pack.  for the various compartments I will post pics, so I will just hit the high points.  The main compartment holds a desert bdu shirt and OD 511 pants, 1 pair of spec ops artic socks in black.  I recommend these socks to anyone who have  to be on their feet for extended periods of time, they are pricey at 15 dollars a pair, however they provide extra cushion, they breath extremely well, dry quickly, and they are warm.  I buy a pair every month or so.  Mine get alot of use as I am still active duty and they make a huge difference. one pair of white cotton socks, one long john shirt (havent bought the cold weather silkies) one pair of cold weather silkie bottoms, one pair of hard knuckle gloves, clear tac goggles, back brace (not as young as I used to be ) head light, bungies, paracord, a watch cap, balaclava and boonie.  am crank radio, For water I have over 200 iodine tabs in that orange matchstick holder (boiling is always an option)
It weighs in at 25 pounds







My weapons of choice are


I know what some of you ar thinking, "why does he have such a large knife when he has a roofers tool"  Well, I have a little dick so I am compensating

I do quite a bit of camping where I like to "train" with all of this stuff.  My most recent trip found that cheapo bic lighters are good for bugging in, as when the temperatures drop those things stop working.  I have a coleman shovel and pick (perfect size) but after one camping outing its beat to shit.  any ideas ? E tool is just to big for my tastes.

once in a while I throw on my pack and hike up cowles mountain( 4 mile trail) to ensure that I can handle it, will hike with vest and pack one of these days, but for that I would have to go at night.  

I  have a small sleeping bag from wiggys rated at 40 degrees that lashes to the pack, I am also on the market for a light tent.  I have my eye on the eureka apex 2-3 person.

Pretty Awesome Set up. As for a tent Even though a little large go with the 2-3 man tent. Even though most Eurekas come with a Vestibule, i rather have my gear inside as much as possible. PLus if you happen to Bug out with another person there is still plenty of room in the tent. I personally have Euerka Zeus I like it because of the external frame and no rain fly to it. It is very easy to set up. I dont believe they make it anymore but you can still find it. I believe I paid 150-200 bucks. Dont quite remember but this was back in 06-07.

As for an E-tool, I have been looking around and the best one it seems that I found Was Cold steel shovel. Has excelent reviews and it is not too heavy as well.

Thanks for the input clownbear. Thee zues looks solid, ill check the interwebz to see why it was discontinued.

ost

Original soundtrack ? My internet slang is a little lacking ;-)

o= old,   s= school,   t= tag    

It is very solid will say rough sleeping in cold winters in wisconsin it but thats because its not desgined to be a winter tent

As for the shovel, you get more leverage in a fixed position system. Plus out of that one when you can throw it effective like a tomahawk is pretty boss as well

Im sold! I'm going to order the cold steel shovel when I get paid.  Sunday I'm going to hike cowles mountain with the pack to ensure it can hold up to the abuse and to ensure I can too.  How many of you guys have thrown on your packs and give it a test drive?

Do those of you that have a Camelbak/bladder in your B.O.B, do you keep the bladder filled when not in use?

I know it seems like a dumb question but I'm wondering if there is a reason for not having it filled.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't unless down range.  At home I have case of bottled water in the truck for use.  This way the water wouldn't get stagnate.


CD

Yep, I keep roasted peanuts and Gatorade and water in a bag. You'd be amazed how many times I scavenge it and have to replace it.



 

It's called rotating your supplies...

And no, I don't keep anything in my camelbaks.  I just make sure they're good and dry and roll up the bladders.

Funny thing is thats what i did tonite with the 1 Lbs of beef jerky for the kids first day at school on wed. Its been in there now since April. So it was about rotate time anyway.

I heart this thread.

Bump

haven't spent much time on the SF for the last couple of years, but that was an extremely hot topic back around 2006-2007.  there are a couple of salient points to be considered.  first, water is very expensive to carry calorie-wise.  while the load decreases as you go, you're probably not going to be able to carry more than a gallon of water at a time.  therefore, that water has to be a backup to finding water as you go.  you will need purification options, and you will need to route accordingly––water becomes the single most important consideration for your routing if you're going to be on the road for more than 2 days.  your single best resource for this is google earth/google maps.

 








 

I hear conflicting information.

Some people say jeans are best to be used in a BOB because they're very sturdy, and will last a while, resistant to tearing, and all around durable (my opinion).

Others say NOT to use jeans, because they're heavier, and will absorb water at a higher rate, so if it's raining, or you have to ford water, you'll be weighed down.

I'm all for 'tactical pants', but in reality, wouldn't you want clothes that would last forever?

i use heavy khakis, but i'm in a pretty dry area.  aside from that, IMO the goal for a bug-out is immediately to get out of an urban area.  after that, it's safe and steady progress––not fast.  so i'm prepared to be uncomfortable, and i'm also prepared to take my time and be methodical.  so being weighted down with soaked pants isn't early as big a problem as having my clothing fail.

 

I read once that the SAS uses two sets of clothes.  One dry and one wet.  The dry clothes are put on at night for sleeping and the wet clothes are used during the day for operations.

From what I understand, once you get wet in the field it is difficult to get dry again unless you build a fire and have time to sort everything out before someone comes to pay you a visit.

This is just what I've read.  Doesn't mean that it's right and I don't claim any sort of special knowledge here.

I've read the same thing.
These guys are some of the best if not the best in survival training so I would
feel very confident in using a lot of their methods.

 

i pack dry/wet.

what i hike in gets taken off in camp,dry sets put on for bed time/dry time. in the AM. on goes the ddirty sweaty stuff i wore the day before. Why dirty  more clothes when you cant wash them anyway while on the move.

Plus it cuts weight  and imhowhen you change to dry it gives you time to do hygene and body checks ( ticks, or other parasites, and get clean)


 

Yes I use two contractor bags as a liner for my pack, and another two as liners in my sleeping bags stuff-sac.  Nobody likes wet gear

BlackHelo –

Your comments about bug-in/hunker down, particularly with kids, resonated with me.  I live in suburban Wisconsin, ~25 miles from downtown Milwaukee, pretty far from the main highways, etc.  I have 2 kids, a 6YO and a 5YO.  I’ve been focusing most of my efforts on a hunker-down scenario.  My thought process is that for any catastrophic events, that it’s likely to be a blizzard, tornado, or some kind of extended power outage.  I’m making sure we have a reasonable amount of food stockpiled, and working on backup power and heat, making sure I have a full, spare cylinder for the gas grill, etc.

In case of a bug out scenario, I’ve started to pull together the things I might need into a couple of boxes/areas around the house.  MRE’s, some survival gear, FAK, etc in boxes in the bedroom closet,  food in the first floor pantry, plastic sheeting/hand tools/rope in the basement work area, and camping gear in the garage (obviously have firearms and ammo as well).  I then have a sheet with the list of all the areas I need to hit if I need to BO.  Bottom line is with a relatively unprepared wife and two younger kids, I’m not bugging out anywhere on foot, so I’ve stashed things in logical areas, so if we did need to leave, we could get out relatively quickly, get everything into the truck, and go.  All that said, I’m flip-flopping in my mind . . . on one hand, I’m reading other people’s plans, and feeling like I’m not planning enough, and then on the other hand, the reality of having 2 younger kids sets in, and backpacking tens of miles with them becomes pretty unreasonable, particularly during winter snow.  So I’d appreciate people’s thoughts on bugging in vs bugging out . . . is there some sort of sliding scale, where it makes more sense to focus more heavily on bugging in, at a slight expense of focusing less on bugging out?

Also, for BOL’s, what types of BOL’s are people thinking about?  Does everybody own second parcels of land/houses, etc?  That’s not realistic for me, so I’m kinda curious what people are using for BOL’s, so I can better prepare.  Right now, in the event of a minor evacuation, I’d relocate to my parent’s house but only if I needed to leave my home.  Their house is further away from the city, but closer to a main highway, so I wouldn’t plan on leaving right away.  My in-laws live further away from the city, and live near a lake, so that would be a secondary “if I really needed to get the hell out of dodge” scenario, in a catastrophic scenario like a chemical/biological attack on Milwaukee.

I’d love to get feedback . . . does anybody else have similar bug-in plans?  What are people using for BOL’s?  Pick apart my plan and offer constructive advice.

Thanks

Dont forget a good knife!
SOG DAGGERT

Go butcher a couple of animals with that rascal and get back to us on how good a "survival" knife it is.

This is my take on pants, some may agree and others won't.


Buy Arcteryx.


I've bought 2 pairs of $100 Arcteryx Rampart pants, 1 is vacuum sealed the other is worn regularly.  They are extremely lightweight, very quiet while moving, and no matter how hard I try I cannot stop them from looking like new.  I've spent a lot of money on buying multiple sets of the same jeans that fit, multiple sets of the same khaki Carhart pants.....  while they are durable (although not as much as Arcteryx), they do not dry quickly, they do not block wind easily, they are not lightweight, they are bulky, and they are restricting.

Moral of the story is that you really get what you pay for.  I've only worn the 1 pair of $100 Arcteryx Rampart pants and they have outlasted 6 pairs of jeans and 6 pairs of Carhart's.  I have worn them shooting, sliding prone across ground with rocks, gravel, brass, trash, glass, etc numerous times, I have worn them hiking and backpacking on different continents, I have worn them in the hot AZ desert, to the cold sub-zero mountains of Kyrgyzstan, to the damp climate of Washington state.

There is a reason they are $100 and there is a reason people like Chris Costa wear them.  They are practically bomb-proof.  If I walked into a store and held the ones I've worn for 2-3 years up next to some on the shelf you wouldn't know the difference.  I cannot say enough good things about Arcteryx.  While it is expensive for most, they pay for themselves... trust me.

That is impressive to say the least.Hmmm.

im off to grow a beard and some hair on my chest now.....



 

To clarify how I use them in my pack...
Most of Arcteryx's gear comes in natural colors that would blend when going from an urban environment to a natural one.

The Rampart Pants come in at an impressive 10.1 oz, then their Skyline Shirt came in at 6.4 oz.  I vacuum sealed these together in a food storage bag along with a Classic Beanie (I shave my head).  This allowed me to carry a change of clothes in a compact size weighing just a little over 1 pound.

I plan on doing this for my car also.

Alot of good reading and various ideas....

I have one big issue with whats in a BOB...  I live 40 miles outside of Ft. Worth... my residence and what few neigbors I have are all good people, somewhat like minded.

BUT....I work 100 miles away in Dallas, Usally on the south end.. So my BOB loadout is a bit heavy...

I carry a weapon for a living..in the trunk of my car rests a 10.5 AR, and BOB.  if things were to turn south while I was in town getting home is the priority and knowing what part of town I will be in
has dictated and eaten up alot of room in my 3 day raid pack.  I have tried to cut weight while keeping absolute must haves.

Plan is to take the car as far as I can, if possible at all..depends on incident.

Question is just how many of you are in a simular situation...